I am stage 4 metastatic breast cancer. Six words and a number that define a battle I fought. But I fought it not only with medicine but with a positive attitude. And I believe that a positive attitude can help you survive anything. And I am living proof.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

A Book Review..
I have had the pleasure of reading a book called Little Patient, Big Doctor by Haleh Rabizadeh Resnick. Now this book is an excellent resource for anyone- not just parents and kids, but for people of all ages who are battling the patient/doctor knows best war. One of my favorite lines in this whole book is "Doctors are trained in Medicine, not communication.. How true this is!!! Most Doctors stand on the level of, I am a professional and I know what is right, whether you think it's right or not is irrelevant.

Then there are the few and far between ones who, like the Boston doctor at the end of this book, who listen and read and judge the truth to be what it is and do what they can to look further into the situation, rather than just agreeing with what everyone else has said. THOSE doctors are GOLDEN!!! These are the kinds of doctors you want to have on your side!!!You DO NOT want someone who repeatedly insists that something is something when really it is not. Or who gives up on you before even giving you a chance. I had one such doctor myself. He came into my hospital room and told me and my parther, The cancer has spread, there is nothing we can do. Signed sealed and delivered my death papers right there. Exit stage life, right over here ma'am. You also do not want one who tells you nothing is wrong when it is very obvious that there is!!!

Then I met my oncologist who was quite the opposite. He tells us, I don't give pronosis' anymore, it's up to you. You wanna live, live. And since I did want to live, I made it a point to be the patient that would buck the system. Just as Ms. Resnick was the parent who bucked the system. She knew she was right, and they were wrong, and I commend her efforts in proving not only that she was right, but that which would "help" baby Alex would actually HARM him!!! As well as for all of her children, researching alternative therapies to help them. Yes I 100% firmly believe alternative therapies are useful for many things.

It's a very good book, and while I guiltily admit it took me way too long to finish reading it, I am glad I had the chance to do so. So see, I am not the only one who demands people stand up and listen!!!!
Thank You Haleh, for writing this book and for everyone else, here is an Amzon link to it, if you should want to read it also:

1 comment:

My Literature class this year is about narrative medicine - how doctors are now being trained to listen. I guess they are even starting to make them take a class in Med school in some places. Hopefully things will be changing soon!

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About Me

I am a 42 year old mom of two kids and wife to one of the best women on earth!! I also fought Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer (twice!!), and won!! I love to read books, watch shows on TV as well as movies, and scrapbook!!! I am also back in College studying Business and German. I enjoy cooking meals for my family and making new baked goods and am working on learning how to eat a little more naturally in 2016.